Buyers of engraved bricks in Quincy are upset city is removing them

Some people who bought engraved bricks in the early 1990s that lined the walkway next to Quincy City Hall were shocked this week to learn that the city was taking out the bricks in City Hall Plaza as part of its downtown park project.

By Patrick Ronan

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Patrick Ronan

Posted Oct. 11, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 11, 2013 at 11:09 AM

By Patrick Ronan

Posted Oct. 11, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 11, 2013 at 11:09 AM

QUINCY

» Social News

In the early 1990s, longtime Quincy firefighter Paul O’Connell bought two bricks with personal inscriptions, hoping they would cement his family’s presence in Quincy for generations to come.

He wasn’t alone; about 3,000 engraved bricks lined the walkway next to city hall.

One of O’Connell’s bricks paid tribute to his brother who died of AIDS, and the other honored the seven members of his family who served on the city’s fire department.

So it came as a shock to O’Connell and many other brick-buyers this week to learn that the city was taking out the bricks in City Hall Plaza as part of its downtown park project. Mayor Thomas Koch’s office said it plans to store the engraved bricks and, if they’re not re-used in the new park, return them to their owners. The inscriptions will be placed on a new downtown monument, he said.

“I was under the assumption, and everyone was under the assumption, that they (the bricks) were going to be there for generations to come,” said O’Connell, who was the city’s fire chief for five years before retiring in 2005. “No one ever said it was going to be a 20-year thing.”

Quincy native Amy Wiltshire, who bought two bricks for the walkway, said she was devastated to hear the bricks may not be re-used.

“It was supposed to be for all the generations after me to come and see. I have tears in my eyes over this,” Wiltshire said.

In 1992, the city, under the leadership of then-Mayor James Sheets, sold bricks for $50 apiece to make up a “Walk of Names” in a new plaza next to city hall.

“It's a great opportunity for the people of Quincy to become part of history,” Sheets said at the time.

But Nauset Construction Corp. started taking out the bricks recently as part of the city’s $9 million renovation of old city hall. The outdoor portion of the project is setting the groundwork for Adams Green, a new park expected to stretch across Hancock Street between city hall and the Church of the Presidents.

Christopher Walker, spokesman for Mayor Koch, said the engraved bricks have been carefully removed, catalogued and stored in shrink-wrap until the city decides whether they’ll be part of a new walkway. He said the bricks may not be used because they create a slippery, unsafe walking surface in the winter.

The city has kept records of all the people who purchased bricks, so Walker said it wouldn’t be difficult to give the bricks back to their respective buyers.

Page 2 of 2 - “I think it’s the sentiments and the memories that are encapsulated on those bricks that the city is committed to preserving,” Walker said. “The bricks will be preserved, and there will be a dedicated monument to those people who contributed at that time.”

The renovations at old city hall started last month and are expected to be completed next fall. Walker said the City Hall Plaza portion of the project related to Adams Green, costing about $1 million, will be paid for by federal transportation funds. To fund the remaining $8 million, the city will borrow $4 million and use $4 million in Community Preservation Act money, he said.

Patrick Ronan may be reached at pronan@ledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @PRonan_Ledger.